ACN Senatorial Candidate Arrested for Impersonating the EFCC

urlThe Lagos State Command of the State Security Service, SSS, has arrested two suspected fraudsters who have been masquerading as Directors with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians and foreigners.

One of the suspects, Azeez Bello,was discovered to have contested for the Kogi Central senatorial seat in the 2011 general elections, on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria.

Bello, said to have impersonated the EFCC Director of Operations, Mr E.A Adegbite, in his confessional statement, reportedly admitted to have collaborated with one Nelson Ndukwe and one Chief Okafor, currently on the run, to defraud the First Lady of Abia State, Mrs Mercy Orji, pretending to be investigating her on trump-up financial offences.

Parading the suspects, yesterday, Director, SSS, Mr. Ben Achu-Olayi, said: “Acting on intelligence report received from Abia State that one suspected fraudster was impersonating Adegbite to defraud the first lady, we trailed and successfully tracked and arrested him at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja.”

He further explained that his partner in crime, one Uche Onwuka, on his part, lured a Nigerian based in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates to the country, to invest in a $7 million real estate belonging to business mogul, Mike Adenuga.

On arriving the country, their client identified as Livinus Yakubu, was reportedly urged by Uche to bring $30,000 for them to purchase chemical with which to wash and print some materials into currencies.

The twist in the supposed business proposal, according to the Director, SSS, Mr. Ben Achu-Olayi, arouse Yakubu’s suspicion, following which he reported to SSS on January 7, 2013.

Achu-Olayi explained that Yakubu was encouraged to play along, while his men placed surveillance on him. The suspects, he said, were arrested around Camelot Hotel in Victoria Island, at the verge of collecting part payment for the purchase of the chemical to wash the dollars.

Doctors Yar’Adua, Obasanjo, Dangote pictures

During a search at the suspect’s hotel room at Travel House Hotel, Ajah, Achu-Olayi disclosed that 12 fake internet super-imposed pictures of the suspect in the midst of eminent Nigerians and documents purportedly signed by President Goodluck Jonathan, were discovered.

He said: “The suspect had several fake internet super-imposed pictures with different highly placed personalities like the late president, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua; former president Olusegun Obasanjo and business mogul, Aliko Dangote among others.

“The worst is that the suspect super-imposed several pictures where he was with President Goodluck Jonathan in the presidential office. He portrayed himself as a member of the inner-caucus or kitchen cabinet of the president and close ally of prominent business moguls in the country. He has used such gimmicks to lure his victims.”

Warning Nigerians to be wary of the likes of Uche and Bello, Achu-Olayi said the latter would be handed over to the EFCC for further investigation and subsequently charged to court.

Source: Vanguard Newspaper